We always hear that sharing is a good thing. And thanks to technology, we can share our ideas, opinions, pictures and videos with our friends and other people. Most of the time, sharing is good. But if we aren’t thoughtful about how we share, we run the risk of hurting ourselves or someone else. Also, remember that the things you share with your friends can end up being shared with others. That’s why it’s important to think before you share.

Elementary

Video Discussion Questions
(for parents & teachers)

• What are some of your favorite activities to do online?

• What does it mean to “listen to your gut”? Can you think of a time when you listened to your gut?

• Why is it important to feel with your heart when you’re online?

• How do you balance your time on the Internet with other activities?

• Can you think of a situation when you would need to stand up for something or someone?

• After watching the video, do you think you might be guilty of any type of oversharing?

• Did any of the information in the video surprise you?

• Why is it sometimes tempting to post bragging status updates? How do you feel when you see other people bragging online?

• The video suggests that you should curate your photos and not post any pictures you wouldn’t want your grandma to see. What kinds of pictures do you think fall into this category?

• Would you ever tell a friend if he or she was oversharing online? Would you want your friends to tell you if you were oversharing?

• What do you consider “TMI”? Is there a difference between TMI offline when you’re talking to your friends and TMI online?

• Do you use privacy settings on all your social media accounts? How do privacy settings help you manage your digital footprint?

• Have you ever been in a situation where someone shared something about you that you didn’t want posted online? How did you handle the situation?

(from MediaSmarts)Your Own StuffWhenever you’re sharing things about you – whether it’s a picture,video or personal things like your phone number – keep in mind that itcould easily end up being seen by people you didn’t want it sent to.Also, it’s not a good idea to share things when you’re feeling reallyemotional – whether you’re angry, sad, or excited. Calm down first andthen decide if it’s really a good idea.

Next, ask yourself:• Is this how I want people to see me?• Could somebody use this to hurt me? Would I be upsetif they shared it with others?• What’s the worst thing that could happen if I shared this?

Passwords are not social: There’s some things you need to be really carefulabout sharing. Sometimes friends share passwords with each otherwhen all is good, but unfortunately this can turn into a nightmare later.

An image lasts forever:
Some people think sharing a nude or sexy photowith a girlfriend or boyfriend – or someone they hope will be theirgirlfriend or boyfriend – shows they love or trust them. Be extra carefulin this situation and think – an image can outlast a relationship.Remember that if somebody asks you to share something you are notcomfortable with you have the right to say no. Nobody who loves orrespects you will pressure or threaten you.

Gone in seconds, but maybe not gone forever:
Some apps or socialnetworking sites promise to auto-delete images or videos after a fewseconds of viewing. But there’s ways around this – the viewer could take ascreenshot – so you still have to make smart decisions about sharing.

Other People's Stuff
Most of the time when people send things to you, they’re okay with you sharing them with other people.If you don’t know for sure, think twice before doing this. Even better, ask the person who sent it if they mindif you share. The same is true if you’re sharing photos or videos that have other people in them:ask before you tag, re-post or pass them on.

If someone shares something with you with somebody else in it, ask yourself:• Did the person who sent this to me mean for it to be shared?• Did they have permission from the person who’s in it?• How would I feel if somebody shared something like this with me in it?

If what you received makes that person look bad, would embarrass them, or couldhurt them if it got around, don’t pass it on. The person who sent it to you may havemeant it as a joke, but jokes can be a lot less funny when something is seen by thewrong person.

A lot of people – boys especially – get pressured by their friends to share nude photosof their girlfriends or boyfriends. It can be hard to stand up to this pressure, but youhave to think about how much giving in could hurt you and your girlfriend/boyfriend.

Fixing Things If They Go WrongEveryone makes bad choices sometimes. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’tdo everything you can to fix things.

If you shared something you shouldn’t have, the first step is to ask the people you sent it to not to pass it on.If someone else posted something you sent them, start by asking them to take it down. It’s actually prettyeffective most of the time. Remember not to do anything while you’re mad: give yourselftime to cool down and, if you can, talk to the person offline.

If they refuse to take it down, don’t try to get back at them by sharing privatethings they sent you, harassing them or getting your friends to gang up onthem. For one thing, this almost always makes things worse. For another, themore you get back at them, the more it might look like it’s just as much yourfault as theirs.

If you’re tagged in a photo that you don’t like, remember that a lot of photosharingand social networking sites may let you take your name off anypictures you’ve been tagged in. On Facebook, you can also select to reviewposts you are tagged in before they post to your timeline under yourprivacy settings: facebook.com/privacy.

If you’re on Facebook and don’t feel comfortable confronting someoneyourself, or don’t quite know what to say, Facebook has a SocialReporting tool with some messages you can use and ways to get aparent, teacher or trusted friend to help you out.

For more serious things, for instance if it’s a partly or fully nude pictureor video, if it’s defamatory (it’s not true and hurts your reputation) or ifit’s being used to harass or bully you, you can ask the site or service thatwas used to share it to take it down. In those cases you can report it tothe police too.

If you are in a situation where a person is threatening to share a nudephoto of you unless you provide more nude photos – you should involvea trusted adult and contact the police right away. This is unacceptablebehavior and in many countries it is illegal.

Remember that you are not alone – you can always talk to your parents, a teacheror counsellor, another adult you trust, or a help-line to get advice and support.